National News

Colorado Wildfire Now a 'Crime Scene'

by Matt Cantor, Newser Staff

(NEWSER) – Colorado's Black Forest fire is now 65% contained, but authorities are still puzzling over the cause of the blaze that's destroyed at least 483 structures. Now, the El Paso County sheriff is calling the 16,000-acre fire a "crime scene" until there's proof to the contrary, CNNreports. "It has far expanded beyond just my arson investigator," says Terry Makata. "We have brought experts in"—including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives—"to give us the greatest possible chance to not only determine the cause, but whether there was criminal intent or not."